Bill Murray: sunny Saturday and rain chance tonight
ALABAMA YESTERDAY
Friday was a clear and cooler day as a cool, dry air mass settled in. Highs ranged from the low to mid 50s and 60s from north to south.
Skywatcher Johnny Wilbanks captured the vibrant sunset in Toney last night!
ALABAMA THIS MORNING
The coldest temperatures typically occur the second night after a cold front moves through an area, and that’s the case this morning. The combination of radiational cooling in the absence of clouds with light winds after a cold front leads to colder low temperatures. Right now, a few locations are sitting in the upper 20s; most of the state is below freezing at 30 and 31 degrees, and the south is just reaching into the mid 30s.
Skywatcher Daniel Harbin caught a serene photo of a flock of geese flying in the orange morning sky.
The Skywatchers wake to a chilly morning reporting temperatures in the mid to upper 20s and low 30s.
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ALABAMA 7 DAY FORECAST
Today will be a moderate day, but Sunday has another cool down as a weak cold front enters the state tonight. Some showers could impact the state tonight into tomorrow morning. A slow warming trend begins on Monday, and above-average temperatures are expected into next week.
MODERATE SATURDAY
An upper-level trough and southerly flow support high temperatures that climb to the 60s. Skies will remain clear until tonight.
LOW CHANCE OF SHOWERS TONIGHT
As the cold front approaches the state, moisture levels increase, and clouds begin to move in. The chances of rain remain around 20%, especially in northern and central Alabama. Lows will fall to the upper 30s to low 40s across east Alabama and gradually increase toward the west. Southwest Alabama will be in the low 50s.
CLOUDY SUNDAY
Precipitation chances will linger through the night and morning hours Sunday. Cloud cover will do little to inhibit high temperatures topping out at the upper 50s and low 60s in north and central Alabama and upper 60s and low 70s south.
WARM-UP BEGINS MONDAY
High pressure will create conditions for a warm-up to occur throughout the week. Monday starts this trend with sunny skies and similar highs, ranging from the upper 50s north to the upper 60s and 70s south. Rain chances continue to stay around 20%.
TUESDAY FIRST FOR ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
As the rise in high temperatures extends into the week, Tuesday highs are expected to reach above normal temperatures for this time of year. Highs will be in the mid 60s in the north and upper 60s to low 70s south. Moist air will still be present, so a sprinkle cannot be ruled out completely.
ABNORMALLY WARM CHRISTMAS EVE
High temperatures on Christmas Eve will be much warmer than normal temperatures, staying in the upper 60s to low 70s across the entire state. Yes, highs could reach 70 degrees in north Alabama. Make sure to wear a thinner ugly Christmas sweater than usual!
WHITE CHRISTMAS? NOPE. WARM CHRISTMAS!
In case you haven’t heard, there is no chance of a white Christmas this year. With continued upper-level ridging and a stubborn, warm air mass, high temperatures will once again range from the upper 60s to low 70s.
MORE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEST
The West continued its above-average temperature trend yesterday, with three record highs broken in southwest California. Palmdale reached 79 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 75 set in 1950. Lancaster Fox Field climbed to 78 degrees, breaking its 1950 record of 76. Sandberg recorded a high of 67 degrees, exceeding the 2024 record of 66.
DROUGHT CONTINUES IN ALABAMA
Drought conditions persist across Alabama, with 20.44% of the state classified as Abnormally Dry (D0). Although the overall coverage of D0 has decreased, some areas have seen worsening conditions as abnormally dry regions shifted into higher drought categories.
Moderate Drought (D1) now affects 62.8% of the state, marking a notable increase from last week as drought coverage continues to expand. Severe Drought (D2) encompasses 8.64% of Alabama, primarily across central-south Alabama and extending into portions of the southern counties near the Florida border.
Extreme Drought (D3) remains unchanged at 2.43%, focused mainly in west-central portions of central-south Alabama. Only 5.69% of the state is currently drought-free, limited to areas in northwestern and southwestern Alabama and along the immediate Gulf Coast.
SNOW FOR MICHIGAN, GREAT LAKES, AND NORTHEAST
The low-pressure system associated with tonight’s cold front will produce heavy snow over parts of Michigan today. Light to moderate snow will fall Sunday in the lower Great Lakes and Northeast region.
RAIN IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
Gulf moisture will funnel into the Mississippi Valley this weekend, which will bring rain to the area Sunday into Monday.
WASH OUT CONTINUES IN CALIFORNIA
Pacific moisture continues to produce rain in California. Light rain today morphs into heavy rain Sunday, so the Weather Prediction Center has placed parts of North California in a Marginal Risk (1/4) for Excessive rainfall today. Tomorrow, the inner portions of this area are placed under a Slight (2/4) or Moderate (3/4) Risk for Excessive Rainfall. Flash flooding, river flooding, and flooding over burn scars are possible.
NATIONAL HIGH AND LOW
Yesterday saw a huge range between the national high and low temperatures of 116 degrees! Multiple locations in Florida such as Ochopee and Miles City hit a high of 88 degrees while the low in Indus, Minnesota was –28 degrees.
STRETCH OF GOOD BEACH DAYS AHEAD.
Today is a wonderful beach day with highs in the mid to upper 60s, clear skies, and winds staying below 10 mph. Rip current risk is low, and surf height will stay at 1 to 2 feet. Tomorrow and the beginning of next week will be nice beach days as well, but a shower or two is possible.
TODAY IN WEATHER HISTORY
December 20, 1981 – The Ashville Ice Tragedy
On December 20, 1981, two young brothers from Ashville, St. Clair County—14-year-old Gary Ray Barker and 11-year-old John Warren Barker—died after falling through thin ice on an eight-acre farm pond. The boys had walked nearly 700 feet and were just 20 feet from the far bank when the ice, only about three-quarters of an inch thick, suddenly collapsed beneath them. A neighbor sprinted toward the pond to warn them but arrived to find a hole in the ice and one of the boys’ crutches lying nearby. Rescue crews later recovered both children from about eight feet of water. The tragedy occurred during a prolonged bitter-cold stretch that left ponds frozen but dangerously unstable across Alabama.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
James Spann posted this picture on X of the breathtaking sunset in Norman, OK, before the Tide beat the Sooners last night. The photo was taken by Rachel Crawford.